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It’s holiday time again! Time to get gifty with your trainer, the barn owner, your barn BFFS, and your horse. But if you’re busy with the holidays and maybe knee-deep in a saddle search, it’s useful to speed up the gift shopping.

So treat yo’ self to a Digital Saddle Advice Package to speed up your saddle search, then check out this year’s Holiday Gift Guide below. And give a tip of Santa’s hat to my friend Alison of Thrifty Equestrian Blog, who is way more fashionable than I am and suggested some products on this guide.

Boring fine print before we get rolling: As always, The Saddle Geek’s recommendations come purely from the head of Jen the Saddle Geek. I’m not affiliated with any of these companies, I don’t get any commissions or kickbacks when you click the links below, and I always tell you below if I received a free sample or a company asked me to review their stuff. And if I wouldn’t buy it for my friends, it doesn’t appear in this gift guide!

“Make it look like I didn’t procrastinate on shopping”: Saddle-themed gift wrap, $15-$40

Now you can put pretty saddles under the tree without worrying about sizing or saddle fitting. Sells for about $5 per sheet (minimum order of 3), or you can bulk-order 25 sheets for about $40.

The trick is finding this stuff, then getting over the “must buy 3 sheets” hurdle. Two ways forward:

Your local tack store might be able to special-order it through Intrepid International.That’s a huge distributor, so your local tack store probably already has an account with them.

If you’re reading this blog and are alive on Planet Earth, you’ve probably had your life touched by horses…and by cancer. Wilberry’s Wishes is a British charity founded by Hannah, a young girl who loved to ride both before and after her cancer diagnosis. Hannah passed away, but Wilberry’s Wishes lives on as a charity that grants equestrian-themed wishes to terminally ill patients and raises funds for cancer research.

Personally, I don’t buy tack items for my friends unless I’m extremely sure that they want it. But if you’re self-gifting or buying for your horsey BFF, then that’s not a problem. Right?

SO. If you want to drop a tack gift on someone, this year’s hot take on stirrup leathers came from Millbrook. They’ve built a wide-body stirrup leather that allegedly moves less, and twists less, than a traditional stirrup. They’re popular with the hunter/jumper crowd, but there’s a dressage version too.

Several of my friends own these and swear by them. I rode in them once and thought they were fine: I didn’t run out and replace all my stirrup leathers, but I’d consider these the next time I need new leathers. They’d be especially useful on my jump saddle, where I tend to get rubs from the stirrup leather cutting into my shin. The leather quality was good: nice thick, sturdy leather that was vegetable tanned and took oil well.

Wide-body stirrup leathers from Millbrook Leather. Ooh! Ahh!

PS, don’t miss Millbrook’s adorable product review by this kid. Even if you don’t want the leathers, this will make you smile:

I’m not a jewelry gal, but I was gaga for this necklace in the A Bit Above Saddlery mobile trailer at a horse show. And because it’s made of rhodium, it won’t tarnish or rust. Perfect for the dirt-covered horsepeople in your life!

Samantha, the owner of A Bit Above, modeled this necklace for the Instagram shot below. She was very nice, and I love supporting new business owners. The necklace isn’t on A Bit Above’s web site, but Samantha assures me that people can call or email about it.

“I love tack so much that I want to wear it on my body”: Surcingle Belt for breech size 22-32, $49

I love horse-themed clothing that doesn’t look like horse-themed clothing. You could even wear this to (gasp!) your day job. I wish they came in a broader range of sizes, but “one size that fits breech sizes 22 to 32” covers at least half my horsey friends. Available from A Bit Above Saddlery.

But people already deserve a medal for remembering to bring their girths home for laundering. And yeah, I’d totally use this if someone bought it for me. It’s easier than finding socks, finding rubber bands, blah blah blah.

Get yourself, or “that friend” who always has a nasty unwashed girth, over the finish line with this little indulgence.

“We just want to bring wine and snacks on a trail ride, is that so much to ask?”: Shires Saddle Panniers, about $40-$50

These Shires saddle panniers snug up to your saddle cantle and attach to your girth straps, which is interesting because most saddle bags require you to have dee rings built into your saddle’s cantle.

You get two panniers + two steel bottles that are custom-fitted to the pannier. That’s enough room for wine, snacks, and whatever else you want to bring.

I’ve only seen this from saddleries based in the UK–or you can order direct from Shires. But if there’s one gift on this list that merits ordering direct from England and risking a late arrival for Christmas, I think it’s this one. And if someone finds this at a US saddlery, please contact me so I can add that to the gift guide!

“My friend can never find a rag when she needs one, and that’s her excuse for not cleaning stuff”: Tack Saver Tack Mitt, $10 each

TackSaver’s machine-washable mitts are useful for fly spray, tack cleaning, bathing your horse, or whatever. They come in kid size and adult size, and you can pick between water resistant (more breathable for your sweaty summer hands) or waterproof (perfect for baths or fly spray).

For the horse-show award coordinators out there, TackSaver will do custom colors if you order 100 mitts. TackSaver for all your first-prize winners in 2018?

But wait, you get a bonus adorable story with purchase!: These mitts were invented by a 9-year-old horse lover named Bella. I met Bella and her mom at the American Equestrian Trade Association tack show in January 2017. They were incredibly nice and they have lots of hustle: it was like walking into a very cute episode of Shark Tank on TV (see Instagram picture below.)

So when you buy these, you can feel great about supporting a young entrepreneur and the family business.

Full disclosure, Bella gave me a free TackSaver mitt in January to play with. I really, really like it for applying fly spray. I don’t use it for cleaning my tack, but that’s because I’m pretty obsessive about getting into little nooks and crannies, and mittens aren’t made for nooks and crannies. If you’re more of a “wipe ‘er off quickly after each ride” kind of person, TackSaver is perfect for that.

I’m only repeating one product from the 2016 Saddle Geek Gift Guide, and it’s this one. There are lots of great saddle soaps out there. I’ve used many of them, and I even like many of them. But Higher Standards Leather Care is my hands-down favorite. It’s the only thing I use on my personal tack.

Higher Standards products smell great. Their products make cheap leather feel better and keep expensive leather in top-notch condition. It’s owned by a small businesswoman in Florida named Libby who makes Higher Standards in her kitchen, then passes it to her husband who packs all the orders at the kitchen table. Aww, horse husbands. They’re the best.

Spoiler alert to my friends: there’s a good chance you’re getting a Higher Standards Mini, split from from their holiday Mini Pack of 3 soaps + 1 balm, as your tack-room stocking stuffer. If I’m feeling classy, I might even slap a mini-bow on the top of the can, to make it obvious that it’s a gift. (Readers, steal this idea for your friends!)

Higher Standards Leather Care’s Mini Gift Pack, available only during the holidays

If you prefer full sized cans of Higher Standards, in either the Soap + Balm Value Pack or individual soaps a la carte, here’s a rundown on the various scents. I’ve listed them from “my very favorite” to “I’d still use it if my friend gave me some”:

Jeffers’ Lemon-Aid: An exclusive scent sold through Jeffers Equine. Smells like the lemon stick candies at Devon Horse Show.

Woody’s Confidence Blend: A sharp, pungent citrus smell. I’ve been known to open this soap just to smell it. It’s that good.

Buzz’s Citrus Ginger: A mellowed-out citrus smell with hints of ginger. If Woody’s Confidence Blend is an upper, this one’s a calmer-downer.

Sugar & Spice: More spice and less sugar. If you’re the kind of person who huffs your jar of Pumpkin Pie Spice at Thanksgiving, you’ll probably like this.

CinnaMint: Smells like Big Red Chewing gum. If you’re into that kind of thing.

Plain Bay: For your friend who’s allergic to fragrance or very noncommittal. For what it’s worth, I’ve used my friend’s Plain Bay and it works just as well as the other varieties.

A full-sized can of Higher Standards Leather Care Saddle Soap. It smells so good that you’ll clean your tack for fun!

“My friends can’t afford a spa, but they like to bathe their horses”: Mrs. Conn’s Shampoo-Filled Bath Sponges, $7-$10 each

That’s right y’all, the shampoo is already in the bath sponge and smells yummy. Supposedly, the soap lasts for 2-3 baths. You can order direct from Mrs. Conn’s (ships free over $50) or from Valley Vet (cheaper per unit but doesn’t ship free until you hit $60).

My trustworthy friend Beth says that’s all true, and she recommends the blue Desert Quencher sponge with its sage and chapparal scent. But Mrs. Conn’s also makes sponges for particular skin concerns:

And for the cute little girl in your barn, the one with the pony that you want to squeeze until it explodes? There’s a pink Fruit Smoothie sponge for that pair. My friend Beth said that one is very, very fruity so proceed with caution unless you want to smell like Lip Smackers chapstick.

Get one of these for everyone in your barn, stuff ‘em into little gift bags, and hang them on each boarder’s stall door. Ta-da, you are now winning the Boarding Barn Game of Thrones.

Mrs. Conn’s Shampoo-Filled Sponge in Lemon Meringue

“I’m lazy and want to buy everyone the same thing, but it needs to feel personal too, ya know?”: Living Royal Crayola Color-In Unicorn Socks, $10-$12 per pair

Who doesn’t like stickers, patches, and dangly charms? And Hunt Club’s “Join the Club” packages even come pre-wrapped in brown paper packages tied up with string. Go ahead, sing it: These are a few of my favorite things…

I live under a rock—okay, more like a giant pile of saddles—but I recently crawled out and discovered Snaks Fifth Avenchew Horse Treats. And FYI, Snaks has a Christmas/Hanukkah treat line that is cute, cute, cute. There’s some cute fall-collection items too, like Pony Pumpkin Pie.

Snaks Fifth Avenchew’s edible pony-treat saddle ornaments, which you can hang like an ornament from a tree or stall. And later, your pony can devour them!

That said, we interrupt this squee-fest for a Christmas Elf timing warning: if you order direct from Snaks Fifth Avenchew, they require about 3 weeks of processing time + additional time for shipping. So if you’re serious about a Christmas order, you need to step on the gas pedal.

Or, order your Snaks Fifth Avenchew stuff from a saddlery with faster shipping. For example…

“There are Youths in my barn and I don’t know what to buy for them”: Fluff Monkey, $26-$35 each

The Youths use fancy lycra puff balls called Fluff Monkey to polish their boots. My hunter/jumper friends say that “all the kids have them clipped to their backpacks at shows.”

A coworker gave me a free Fluff Monkey, which she got from the founder after staying in the founder’s AirBnB. (Thanks, Betsy and Kathleen!) After putting my sample Fluff Monkey through the ringer, I can verify a few things:

It’s great for putting a final polish on (clean) boots and saddles.

It’s really well made. I gave Fluff Monkey to my toddler to see if he could destroy it. He tried hard. It remained intact and looks like new.

It lived up to its claim to be “machine washable.”

The colors are deep and vibrant. I’d be pumped to have one in my barn colors, eventing cross-country colors, school colors, etc.

I smile every time I see it. Who could resist a big adorable ball o’ foof?

Fluff Monkey is a family business run by Kathleen, a horse-show mom in Pennsylvania. The owner claims a general turnaround time of 2-3 days for a custom Fluff Monkey. But just to be safe, I’d suggest contacting Kathleen at Fluff Monkey about the timeline your holiday orders, especially if you’re making a big order.

Fluff Monkey comes in dozens of colors, from a single solid color to a rainbow of options like this one.

All year long, the barn dog has faithfully eaten your farrier’s trim-scraps and chased away snakes. Thank this least-naughty critter on Santa’s List with either a whole $35 BarkBox (yes, you can order just one as a gift) or buy a single $10-$15 toy from BarkShop.

Why are there stirrups on this shirt? I guess those are the ghosts of your sanity after riding without stirrups for a full month. Anyway, it’s a classy-lookin’ shirt that you could wear in non-horsey company. And it comes in a huge range of sizes, up to 4X. Nab it here.

“My friend is impossible to shop for. What can I get her that she doesn’t already have?”: A favorite horse photo rendered as a custom digital graphic or real-life stickers, $5-$10

For your friend who already has a blingy browband, rhinestones on her saddle cantle, rhinestones on her boot tabs…now she can have rhinestones on her braids. Comes in sets of 10, in color palettes ranging from carnival clown to a subtle black onyx set.

If rhinestones make you feel like you’re in a Las Vegas show, Equus Couture might have a bling-style you prefer. The owner rides at the same barn as me, and I’ve seen her work in person.

She let me pilfer through an entire bag of Equus Couture stuff, and every single piece was beautiful, well made, and crafted with high-quality materials. It felt more like shopping for jewelry, or antique furniture, than shopping for a traditional piece of horse bling.

The sale bin items start at $25, so there’s something for every budget. If you shop outside the sale bin, here’s some options ranked from “extremely subtle” to “ATTENTION I HAVE ARRIVED AT THE SHOW GROUNDS”:

Because her pieces are one-of-a-kind, you have to order the old fashioned way: by contacting Equus Couture directly. Your patience will be rewarded with a one-of-a-kind gift. And the owner is super nice, so you can expect a pleasant transaction.

Sample browbands from Equus Couture

Ack! I still haven’t found an awesome gift!

Well, here at The Saddle Geek, we’re big believers in giving shoppers resources. So if the stuff above wasn’t enough, and the Digital Saddle Advice Package isn’t the right treat yo’ self gift, try Velvet Rider’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide. Their gift guide has minimal overlap with this one, and they’ve got links to dozens of online saddleries so that you can window-shop until you drop.

For longtime readers: You’re the best! Thank you for being part of this amazing journey.

There’s a saying in the entrepreneurial world: “Don’t start a business unless your customers ask you to do it.” And that’s exactly how The Saddle Geek was born–because wonderful equestrians started asking me for advice. I never dreamed it would get this big–that I would see my name in a magazine that I read religiously as a 10-year-old, horse crazy little girl.

I can’t wait to keep expanding and sharing with you in the new year. I’ve got big plans for expansion in 2017. Videos? Ebooks? Webinars? We’ll see what the New Year holds.

But know that when I’m up late at night or early in the morning, squeezing in a blog post or Digital Saddle Fitting Consultation between my day job and my graduate dissertation and being the mother of a toddler…it’s you guys, my readers, who keep me going.

I see how many of you actually read my emails from the mailing list, and actually click through and read the blog posts. Your support is amazing, and I notice it, and it means the world to me. Thanks.

PS, Horse Illustrated got a big makeover this year, and it’s much cooler than it was before.

Lemme keep it real for a sec: Horse Illustrated was stuck in a rut for awhile there. But this year, the magazine got a highly visual, Instagram-tastic refresh that makes it a lot more readable…and dare I say awesome? For the first time in years, I would gladly be caught in public, purchasing an issue of Horse Illustrated. I’m super proud to be in their 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition for December 2016.

So if you haven’t checked it out in awhile, give it a browse the next time you’re at Barnes and Noble or another place that sells Horse Illustrated. Or if you like, just nab a subscription already. It’s crazy cheap at $7.99 for the Digital Edition and $12.99 for the print edition.

So, did you spot the issues in that stock photo? I’m guessing the editors chose hta tphoto because of the subtle fit problems.

Here’s the issues I saw:

A-shaped tree on a wide horse that may need a U-shaped tree. This looks like a wide little horse. Based on the color and mane, it might be a Haflinger. Based on how the pommel is perching like a party hat on the horse’s shoulders, this saddle isn’t just too narrow–it may also have the wrong tree shape for this horse’s body. Some wide-shaped horses benefit from a U-shaped “hoop” tree, where the tree point angles come down in an upside-down U shape instead of an A shape. Hard to tell without seeing better photos of the horse’s bare back. That’s one reason that I ask for a “rear shot” of each horse for my Digital Saddle Fitting Advice service: it helps me assess what tree shape might be ideal for each horse. To see a full list of photos that I use for that service and preview the Intake Form, check out this page.

What’s with the wither gussets and the felt pommel pad? There’s something funky going on here. The wither gussets and felt pommel pad suggest that someone thinks this horse needs more wither clearance. But based on how this A-shaped pommel is perching like a party hat, I’m worried that this rider is worrying about wither clearance without considering what “propping up” the pommel will do elsewhere on the saddle. Which brings us to…

The tree and panels may be too straight for this horse’s topline, creating a pressure point at the back of the saddle. In the picture, this saddle’s cantle looks lower than the pommel. The saddle’s rear gussets, at the very back of the saddle, are poking into the horse’s flank. And while I can’t quite see under the saddle, my strong guess is that this saddle is bridging in the middle. In other words, by lifting up the pommel on this saddle, the rider created empty airspace in the middle of the saddle area + a big pressure point in the back. The better solution, overall, is probably a wider saddle with a U-shaped hoop tree, a more curvy profile to the overall topline, and–if wither clearance is still a concern after all of that, use some other design solutions to make sure that’s taken care of.

So if you’re wondering what the Grey Horse Candles smell like, lemme hook you up with some crazy detailed descriptions below. And spoiler alert: I really liked one of the Grey Horse Candles. And it’s not the one you’re expecting me to like, as someone who runs a saddle blog and a Digital Saddle Fitting Consultation Service.

First, props are due: If you buy a Grey Horse Candle, please buy it from Equus Now, the saddlery that hosted my candle smell-fest.

Ah, Equus Now. They’re my local saddlery, and they’re super nice people. To be clear, they didn’t compensate me for this review; I just showed up one day and was like “Hey can I smell all your candles?” (<—only the eighth- or ninth-weirdest thing I’ve ever said to the staff of Equus Now)

Sign up for Equus Now’s Order by Text Message Program, which gets you free shipping with no minimums. Yes, for real. Also, let me tell you, it is really convenient to be standing in the barn aisle and stroke off a text like “I need more CLAC fly spray kthxbye” and find it in your mailbox a few days later. Read more about Order By Text here.

High End Saddle: Not very leathery or saddle-y. More like a brand-new turnout blanket, fresh from the bag.

So, how do I know that the High End Saddle candle actually smells like a brand-new turnout blanket? Because I walked from Equus Now’s gift department, where the candle rack was, to their turnout blanket department, to confirm that the smells were the same. Like I said, they tolerate my weirdness at Equus Now.

Anyway, if you’re not sure what a new turnout blanket smells like, here’s another description: it’s like the soft, slightly humid, ambient air in a very clean, non-moldy tack room. So basically, the air in a tack room that exists in magazine catalogs and your dreams.

It’s a good candle, if you can get over the “doesn’t smell like leather” thing. It’s a very subtle, non-intrusive, pleasant smell. But if you’re looking for a candle that smells like actual high-end saddle, you should pass.

Cedar Shavings: Now THAT smells like a barn. Santa, slip this candle under the tree for me!

Yasssssss. If you love the smell of a freshly bedded stall with wood shavings, this candle comes really close to that mark. It’s not just the smell of cedar. It’s that pungent, airy, slightly dusty smell of running your muck rack through a pile of shavings.

Nailed it. 10 out of 10, would buy.

Wash Rack: Gross name, good smell

In short, this candle smells nothing like the actual wash racks in my life. Those smell vaguely of sweat, rubber, and well water that’s laced with sulfur. And horse poop.

This candle, by contrast, has a soft aqua smell. Like a high-end human body wash with a name like Ocean Breeze Soap.

This candle also smells a liiiiiittle tiiiiiiiiny bit like diluted horse liniment. You know that vaguely pleasant smell when you put a touch of Vetrolin liniment in a bucket of water, then sponge off your horse with the diluted Vetrolin liniment? There’s some overtones of that diluted liniment smell. But it’s very, very subtle. If someone didn’t suggest to you that this candle smells a bit like Vetrolin, you might miss that part.

I mean this as a compliment: if I were buying a Grey Horse candle for my bathroom, I’d probably pick this one. Not least because I’d smile every time I saw the words “Wash Rack” in a bathroom meant for humans.

Early Morning Hack: A tiptoe through a lavender field, in candle form.

If your barn is surrounded by a very large lavender patch, and there’s lots of scenic morning dew and fog around it, this candle might smell like an early morning hack.

Mighta forgotten to take a picture of Early Morning Hack, when I was taking pictures. My bad. You’ll survive.

Sweet Feed: Smells like Brach’s Penny Candy in a Jar

A nice candle if you’re after a vaguely gingerbready, butterscotch-y kind of smell. It may come a little closer to the actual “Sweet Feed” mark once you’re burning it, which would mellow out the scent.

I bet it would pair nicely with Cedar Shavings, to create the ambiance of a freshly mucked barn at feeding time.

It would so pair nicely with this next candle, for obvious reasons…

Peppermints for Ponies: Exactly the smell of those cheap cellophane-wrapped peppermints that we feed to horses

I don’t know how Grey Horse got that candy-ish, sugary, syrupy overtone into the peppermint smell of this candle..but they did. It’s the precise, mellow-mint smell of those cheapo peppermints that you buy at CVS, or save from restaurant candy dishes, to feed to your horse as treats.

And I bet when this candle is burning, it’s got that hot-peppermint-breath smell, from when your horse eats a peppermint and then sticks his muzzle in your face.

Beach Ride: Uhh, more like the gift shop near the beach

This was a nice candle scent, but it didn’t literally smell a beach ride. It smelled like a gift shop near the beach—-you know the one, with the seashell magnets and the cheap sarongs and the beaded jewelry.

In short, this candle is a smell that we associate with beachiness, but not the actual smell of beaches.

I wouldn’t buy this for a horsey friend. BUT let’s say I’m at the tack store, and I want to buy an emergency hostess gift for my next unexpected dinner party. Like, possibly a hostess who doesn’t even like horses, so Dark Horse Chocolates isn’t a safe choice.

This is probably the candle I’d buy for that sort of “Hey, I got you something random” gift. It’s a generically pleasant smell that many people would like, without being horse- or barn-specific.

Spring Pasture: What a cross-country course would smell like if my horse threw me into…

…a big jasmine bush. Or maybe a magnolia tree.

Anyway, it’s a very, very floral scent. Because spring, and flowers, I guess?

You already know, based on this description, whether this candle is for you. It’s not my style, but maybe it’s yours.

Apples for Horses: Remember that time you licked your horse’s apple-flavored Lick-It, just to see how that would taste? Yeah.

I had high hopes for this candle. I wanted a delicious, authentic, fresh-off-the-farm apple scent.

But what I got was the deep cloying, slightly acrid smell that wafts off your horse’s apple-flavored Lickit. In candle form.

Possibly, if you love Apple Jolly Ranchers and want your entire room to smell like that, you will like this candle.

Otherwise, pick something else.

Moonlight Ride: Men’s Deodorant, Straight Up.

Basically, it’s what a Moonlight Ride might smell like if you were on this ride with Fabio, on the cover of a romance novel. So, not unpleasant. But very masculine.

If you’re into the smell of Axe Body Spray, Old Spice Deodorant, or Irish Spring Soap…this candle might be your jam. I like woodsy dude-smells, so I was fond of this candle. Buy it for the man (or bachelor) in your life?

Trail Ride: A very shy pine tree

I love pine smell. There’s a pine-scented candle on my desk right now. Yet the pine smell of Trail Ride was so subtle that I could barely identify it. So when it’s burning, I suppose it would smell vaguely woodsy. This one didn’t make a strong impression on me, but it also didn’t bother me. If someone bought one for me, I’d definitely use it.

Freshly Cut Hay: Tropical flowers, not dried grass.

With a name like Freshly Cut Hay, I was expecting the smell of hay, or even fresh cut grass. but instead, I got tiny hints of tropical flower, like the smell of jasmine or tuberose floating by on a cool breeze. A nice candle, but again, don’t let the name throw ya off. It’s less “Fresh Cut Hay” and more “walk through the garden at a California spa, before your noon session of hot yogas and mimosas.”

Whoops! You procrastinated, again, on gifts for your barn buddies and trainer. High five, fellow holiday fail-whale. I procrastinated on writing this Gift Guide, so we’re even.

Anyway, this being The Saddle Geek, I’ll be focusing on saddle-related gifts for English riders…but no saddles. Saddles are tough to gift because they’re so personal and so expensive. Girths, stirrups, and other accessories are also a matter of personal taste. The goal with this gift guide is to suggest stuff that many of your friends will want or need, regardless of their taste in saddles, between $15 and $99.

Fair warning, folks…given that it’s 10 days before Christmas as I write this, your mileage may vary on packages arriving by Christmas. Make a creative IOU to put under the tree?

Finally, a moment for the boring fine print: None of these companies asked me to endorse their products, none of them provided free products for my review, and I don’t get any commission or kickbacks when you click the links below.

So this gift guide is purely my gift to you: the gift of drooling over fun saddle-related stuff. Yum.

I’ve tried just about every tack-cleaning product on the market, from cheap to expensive. Some are terrible, many are good, a few are great…yet there’s only one brand that I use on my personal tack, and that’s Higher Standards Leather Care. It works very well, it smells amazing, and it’s made with love in the USA by an eventing rider named Libby.

Plain Bay – totally un-fragranced and perfect for your fragrance-sensitive friends. Cleans just as well as the other scents (uh, I may or may not have tried every scent on this list…)

And don’t forget the amazing conditioning balm:

Leather Balm – a non-greasy leather balm that actually works? I used to think that was impossible, until I met this stuff. If you think your leather looks good now, wait until you see it after a light coat of this stuff. Mostly unscented, although you can definitely smell the cocoa butter in there.

Swanky Saddle Company Monograms, $30-$45

Why settle for a boring saddle nameplate? Swanky Saddle Company makes beautiful monogram-style plates, and more traditional plates with fancier-than-normal fonts. If you’re not sure which one to buy, here’s my opinion: “The embossed monograms are super cute, but they look like dirt magnets. Unless you keep Q-tips in your tack cleaning kit, I’d get the flat plate version instead. Or if you prefer, go with a more traditional plate with fun writing like the Signature Saddle Plate.” Also, fair warning: this is a customized item, so it can take 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. If you’re giving one for Christmas, wrap up a creative IOU (<—see what I did there? Three letters, just like a monogram.)

You know what’s expensive to fix? A saddle whose dee ring got yanked out. Perhaps because a horse spooked while it was wearing something that was hooked to those dee rings.

So if you have a friend that uses their dee rings a lot—-like, say, a friend who routinely hooks a breastplate to their dee rings—hook up your friend with some really nice, industrial strength dee ring savers.

The Amish-made dee ring savers from Nunn Finer are top notch. I use them on both of my saddles. And unlike those flakey-dakey $5 ones you buy to “tide you over,” I’m confident that the Nunn Finer ones will last a lifetime. Nab some Nunn Finner dee rings at VTO Saddlery or SmartPak.

A Mattress For Your Saddle, $99

If you paid a small fortune for a top-notch wool-flocked or foam panelled saddle, it’s really un-awesome to find your panels getting creased by the rails on your saddle rack. Over time, this can cause serious problems with your saddle. For a wool-flocked saddle, it can make your flocking lump and bunch into uncomfortable pressure points for the horse. For a foam-panelled saddle, it can create permanent rail-shaped divots in the foam.

Enter Saddle Mattress, a product that retrofits your saddle rack with more panel-friendly padding. Yes, it’s an extravagant solution. Yes, you could probably accomplish a similar goal with a really thick saddle pad.

But anyway, this is the holidays, and extravagance is the name of the game. Saddle Mattress also the perfect gift for That Barn Friend Who Has Everything. Like me (hey, husband, if you are reading this…)

A photo posted by Jess (@jessicasdiamond) on Jan 18, 2016 at 9:08pm PST

A Premium-Quality Saddle Pad from PRI, $40

Almost everyone can use more saddle pads. But how often do you spring for the really nice ones, the ones that wear like iron and precisely match your barn colors or show colors?

If you’re ready to move into the Saddle Pad Big Leagues, Pacific Rim International (PRI) pads are just what you’re after. They wear like iron, and you can get them in almost any combo of colors and piping.

Equus Now stocks PRI pads in many colors and three sizes: dressage, all purpose, and pony. If you don’t see your target color combo, give Equus Now a call. They can usually order the color you want. And let’s just say there’s a case discount if you order enough of these, ask me how I know.

Saddle pad color options from Pacific Rim International (PRI), as sold by Equus Now! @ equusnow.com

A Simple Neck Strap or a Complicated Neck Strap, $19-$40

If world-class eventer William Fox-Pitt uses a neck strap for every ride, you can too. Most people use an old stirrup leather, or the neck-strap part of a martingale.

But if you’re looking for a better-mouse-trap approach to neck straps, try the Shires Tapestry Neck Strap. Its most charming features are an elastic insert and a dee ring to braid into your horse’s mane, both of which help to hold the neck strap steady in tough conditions.

It does run big, so unless you routinely ride horses who are larger than 16.2hh, I recommend the Pony/Cob size. You can buy either size from Shires on Amazon.com.

That said, I place neck strap about 1/3 of the way up the neck. If you like your neck strap closer to the withers, where you can keep your hand around it at all times, you might want a thinner neck strap like the Nunn Finer neck strap.

Three neck strap options: The Shires Tapestry Neck Strap for the Type A engineer in your life, the Nunn Finer neck strap for the classical rider in your life who keeps a finger hooked in their neck strap all the time, and the C4 Skinny Belt recast as a neck strap for the color junkie in your life.

If your friend owns a saddle from Bates/Wintec/Collegiate with the Easy Change Gullet System, there’s a darn good chance that your friend is missing a screw. And I’m not talking about their brains.

I’m talking about the fact that, when you attempt to change a gullet plate, the Easy Change Gullet System from Wintec/Bates/Collegiate often turns into a catapult for screws. And when screws roll across the tack room or the barn aisle, they ain’t never comin’ back.

And if you’re a US buyer, that’s a problem because the Easy Change Gullet System uses metric screws. You can find a workable replacement in the special Metric Screws drawer at Lowe’s or Home Depot, but it’s never going to be quite right. It’s much nicer, and better for your saddle, to have a real replacement screw from Wintec/Bates/Collegiate.

This is a long-winded way to say…a Replacement Screw Pack is a more thoughtful gift than it may seem. And think of the screw-related jokes (PG-rated or R-rated!) you can write on the card.

Butt Velcro: Suede Seat Covers, about $70 each

Here’s something I’ve never understood: horses tend to be uppity in the winter, yet breeches companies tend to use slippery fabrics for winter breeches.

Yes, I know about Sticky Seat and full-seat breeches, and full chapts. Yes, I know about saddles covered in grippy leathers and suede-like synthetics. But for a lot of riders, those are expensive solutions that aren’t gonna happen this winter.

So if you’ve got a rider in your life who’s stuck with an existing slippery saddle and slippery breeches, The Other Seat suede seat cover is just the ticket. It’s not show legal for most riding disciplines, but the goal here isn’t to be show legal. It’s to survive the winter alive!

I own and use The Other Seat on my jump saddle and dressage saddle. I can tell you from firsthand experience, the suede is high quality and lasts a long time. If you’re sketched by the product maker’s ancient web site, you can buy The Other Seat from a sweet little saddlery called Riding Right, which I have used several times.

Replacement Billet Guards, $20-$25

Billet guards seem like a silly luxury item, until you lose them or they fall apart. Then, the buckles on your girth start causing unnecessary wear on your jump saddle’s flaps. Yet most people don’t get around to ordering replacement billet guards, and their saddles suffer for it.

That makes replacement billet guards a thoughtful stocking stuffer, especially for saddles that don’t get enough TLC. Slide them quietly onto the saddle your trainer uses for lessons, or the saddle of a little girl in the barn who can’t afford more than that paper-thin ancient plain-flapped saddle.

For Your Friend Who Needs Saddle Advice But Won’t Ask For It: A Big Ol’ Link to thesaddlegeek.com

This blog wouldn’t exist without awesome readers like you, and I love having more of you aboard. So whatever winter holiday you celebrate—in my case, it’s Christmas—have a great one. I can’t wait to have even more geeky saddle fun with y’all in the New Year.

I get this question a lot from my mailing-list members, and I understand why. Picking a local saddle fitter can be scary and hard. You’re trusting this person with your money and your horse’s health. And if you’re new to saddle fitting, you may feel like you don’t have the right tools to spot a bad apple.

You can also learn to ask smart questions that will help you find a great fitter–someone who will be an ally in your search. To help you move in that direction, this post is about things I typically ask–and do–when I meet a new-to-me saddle fitter–and I meet at least three dozen new fitters every year during my work for The Saddle Geek, so this is a road-tested system!

1. Figure out why other clients like this saddle fitter.

“Why do people like this fitter?” is a more useful question than “Do other clients like this saddle fitter?”

Because you know how it is in the horse world. Think of your friend who has that awful trainer, but your friend loooooooves the trainer. Or your other friend whose horse has a terrible shoeing job, but she thinks her farrier hangs the moon. There’s always somebody who thinks a horse pro is the greatest, even if they’re actually terrible.

You’ll find the same problem with saddle fitting. Having great, rave reviews from clients doesn’t always mean that the fitter was a great professional who did a great job. It just means the client was satisfied. And some clients are satisfied with shoddy work because they don’t realize the work was shoddy.

So instead, ask people specifically “What did you like about working with [a particular saddle fitter]?” Look for an answer that’s better than “she helped me find the perfect saddle.” My ears perk up when I hear these three phrases:

“She took the time to help me understand my situation, and I learned a lot from her.”

“She explained exactly why I’ve been having certain problems lately, and it made a lot of sense.”

“She provided excellent service and support even after I bought a saddle.”

Ask people to give you a play-by-play of what happened at the fitting appointment. Look for red flags, like “they just put every saddle in their truck on the horse until they found one that seemed like a decent fit.” (<—That’s a real story from one of my former clients, about a French brand rep. Yikes!)

Also look for green flags, like, “The fitter listened to how I responded to riding in a demo saddle. Then they brought out another saddle from their truck that was much closer to the mark, based on my feedback.”

And when you get a rave review for a fitter, ask these follow-up questions from the client:

How many fitters have they used in the past, and how did this fitter compare to previous fitters they’ve used? If this person has only ever used one saddle fitter, they may not have much to compare their review to.

Try to get client reviews from people you don’t know well. Friends are sometimes less candid than strangers. To do this, try searching online horse forums or Facebook groups for existing reviews. Sometimes you’ll luck out if you just Google the fitter’s name and read the first two or three pages of results. Or ask for reviews through online bulletin boards, mailing lists, or Facebook groups. If a fitter is good, their reputation will precede them.

That said, when you look at a fitter’s reviews, remember that no fitter has a 100% perfect batting average. Even a great fitter might have one or two bad reviews, in a sea of otherwise good reviews. And before you freak out about that, remember that your farrier hot-nails a horse every now and then. Even Olympic-level trainers sometimes meet horses or clients that they don’t gel with. And every vet has been stumped by a medical case, at some point. That’s called “being human and working with horses.”

I’m not saying that you should settle for a bad fitter or ignore mountains of bad reviews. I’m saying that you should look for a fitter who has more than just a reputation for good saddle fitting–because that’s only part of the equation. Look for a fitter who has a gift for educating clients. Look for a fitter who makes it right when things spin out of control. Look for a fitter who seems to be in their clients’ corner, not just someone who wants to hit their sales quota.

And read carefully between the lines of bad reviews. Some bad reviews are a genuine reflection of bad service and fitting. But sometimes, bad reviews come from buyer’s remorse or unrealistic expectations. As people sometimes say, “Trust but verify.”

2. Ask the fitter about their training and experience. Here’s exactly what to ask.

When you hire a horse trainer, you probably ask them about their previous experience. You ask who they’ve trained with. You ask if they’ve ever been a working student. You ask what kind of show results they’ve achieved over the years.

But people rarely ask saddle fitters the same type of questions. I don’t know why. Maybe people just don’t know what to ask? Or maybe they feel like there’s only one saddle fitter in town so they don’t really have an option?

Anyway, you don’t need to make this a police-style interrogation. But a few polite questions about qualifications can pay off. You’ll walk away feeling more confident that you’ve hired the right person. And you can test-drive the fitter’s ability to communicate well with you.

Here’s some things I ask fitters when I meet them:

2a. How long have you been working in the saddle industry?

This is a better question than “How long have you been selling Brand X?” or “How long has your saddle business been open?”

That’s because good saddle fitters and bad saddle fitters can move around a lot. It’s a sales industry, so turnover tends to be high, and the best/hottest products are constantly changing. Even the best fitters will sometimes switch brands, found their own independent businesses, pursuing training or apprenticeships, or whatever.

But knowing how long someone’s been in the saddle industry overall can be useful recon. The longer someone’s been in the industry, the better your odds that you’re talking to a good fitter.

And if you’re lucky, asking “How long have you been in the saddle industry?” inspires the fitter to tell you their whole range of previous saddle-fitting experiences.

That said, like everything in this post, having many years in the industry isn’t an automatic win. Some terrible fitters manage to bounce around for years. They chase away their bad reviews by moving from brand to brand and region to region.

So while many years of experience are a plus, measure their years of experience against the other things I mention in this post.

2b. What kind of training have you received in saddle fitting? Was that training program affiliated with a particular saddle brand? Was that training done independently?

You’re likely to get one of four answers to this set of questions:

1. “Yes, I have professional training and/or certification. I got it from an organization like the Society of Master Saddlers or Mike Scott’s saddle fitting program in South Carolina” 2. “I have not pursued a certification program. But I was an apprentice to another saddle fitter for many years, and now I’m in business for myself.” 3. “I received in-house training by the saddle brand I work for (or used to work for).” 4. “I am actually another kind of horse professional (chiropractor, masseuse, vet, etc.). I’ve picked up saddle fitting along the way because it’s related to my primary job.”

Honestly, you’ll meet good and bad fitters from all four of those training routes. Certification is expensive and time consuming, so some excellent fitters don’t go that route.

But these three things are almost always true:

more training in saddle fitting is usually better

more time spent on the job, working directly with horses, is usually better

having training from multiple sources, or exposure to a wider variety of brands and perspectives, is usually better.

In my experience, some customers strongly prefer fitters with professional certification. And it’s true that fitters who pursue certification tend to be serious about educating themselves and others. The Society of Master Saddlers, for example, is widely respected for its time consuming and intensive training process for saddle fitters. SMS-certified fitters even have to return to Britain occasionally to get re-certified. So it’s not surprising that most people who survive SMS training are good fitters. Sure, I’ve met a few who didn’t impress me, just like I’ve met a rare Pony Club A or B graduate who didn’t impress me. But on the whole, if you survive that kind of gauntlet, you’re pretty good at what you do.

All of that said…there are plenty of good fitters without certification. In fact, in some cases, it doesn’t sense for a good saddle fitter to get certified. As a simple example, suppose you specialize in fitting used, French-style, foam panelled saddles. Society of Master Saddlers training focuses on British wool-flocked saddles. In that situation, then, getting SMS certified wouldn’t make much financial or logistical sense.

And even for fitters who do specialize in British wool-flocked saddles, there are good training courses in the USA. For example, Mike Scott’s saddle fitting course in South Carolina is popular. Many of Mike Scott’s graduates have successful US fitting businesses without getting SMS certification. Mike Scott’s course is very intensive. And, incidentally, a fair number of his graduates do pursue SMS certification later in their careers.

My point is, it’s reassuring to find a saddle fitter with certifications. But there are many good fitters without certification. What’s most important is to find someone with either lots of experience, or lots of supervision from better pros, or both.

If in doubt, ask this follow-up question: “Can you tell me a little bit about what your training course looked like? I’m curious.” Most fitters are happy to describe how they were trained.

But if you meet a fitter who only has brand-specific training…well, that makes life complicated. The truth is, brand-specific saddle training varies a great deal.

Some brands have very rigorous training programs that last weeks or months. Some brands even fly their reps overseas to see the saddle factory. And some brands continue to supervise their trainees over periods of months or years. That kind of on-the-job training can produce a fantastic saddle fitter.

But other brands have training programs that last just a few days or hours. And even with a great teacher at the fore, such a course won’t make you a great saddle fitter. Think about literally anything in the horse world that you mastered after a two-day seminar. Couldn’t think of anything? Me neither.

So if someone told me they only had brand-specific saddle fitting training, my follow-up questions would be this:

“How long and intensive was your training?” and

“How long have you been on the job?”

Experience can often compensate for a minimal amount of initial training. And of course, if in doubt, just keep asking more questions. Like the ones in the rest of this post.

2c. What aresome common fitting challenges you see with <fill in your horse’s breed and your riding discipline here>?”

Believe it or not, this question isn’t about assessing your fitter’s level of experience or whether they can fit your horse effectively.

It’s about assessing how well the fitter explains things to you, a saddle-fitting novice.

If your fitter explains things in clear and straightforward ways that you can understand, you’ll learn more from working with them. If they sound like they’re talking nonsense, or they can’t explain themselves, you should be nervous.

And te answer that should REALLY put your hackles up is, “Well, I sell saddles that fit all horses and riders. It’s not a breed-specific thing.”

Yes, there are brands that have pretty versatile lineups of saddles that fit many horses and riders. And yes, there are some very rare brands that truly are 100% custom from the tree upward and could theoretically fit almost all horses out there.

But let me assure you, if you asked a top-notch bespoke saddler or fitter this question, you would get an actual answer to your question about the breed-specific or rider-specific challenges on the table. You would not get “Well, I can fit all horses and riders.”

Remember, your fitting situation might feel unique to you, but an experienced fitter has probably dealt with similar horses challenges before. So if someone avoids a specific question about a specific type of horse or rider, you should be wondering if they can actually answer the question.

If in doubt, ask again. But if they still can’t tell you the common challenges with (for example) fitting a short-backed horse and a larger rider, or fitting a very wide horse, or fitting saddles for tall riders…back away slowly and find someone who can explain those challenges to you.

If you don’t have such a person in your area, Jen the Geek’s Digital Saddle Advice Service might be a good fit for you–and yes, you can absolutely use that service AND use a local saddle fitter, or we can help you assess options for local fitters in your area. Here at The Saddle Geek, we’re fully committed to brand independence, so we don’t sell saddles. That means we’re potential allies with your local fitters, not competitors.

2d. Do you also do saddle repair?

Taking saddles apart, and putting them back together again, teaches you a heckuva lot about saddle mechanics and fitting. So fitters who pursue training in saddle repair tend to be excellent saddle fitters, too.

To be clear, a lot of good fitters don’t have the time or the need to get trained in saddle repairs. Good fitters are often crazy busy already with fitting saddles for clients. But to make an analogy with computer geeks, if you’ve taken the time to learn computer programming, you’re probably a computer geek. But if you’ve also taken the time to learn basic computer repairs and learn how to build your own PC? Then you’re definitely a computer geek.

It works the same with saddle fitting: I’ve met plenty of fitters who are true saddle geeks, with or without repair training. But the ones who pursue repair are definitely saddle geeks.

In my experience, there are three tiers of saddle repairs. Each requires more training than the last. And the more training someone has, on top of their saddle-fitting training, the more impressed you should be:

Intermediate – convert foam panels to wool, widen or narrow a saddle tree by using a tree press, add knee or thigh blocks under a saddle flap, add knee or thigh blocks under the flap

Advanced – repair a torn saddle seat, shorten or lengthen saddle flaps (especially shortening by removing leather from the top of the flap), remove a broken tree from a saddle and insert a new one, replace worn-out knee rolls, or add knee rolls to a plain flap.

3. Work with a fitter that’s kind of hard to get.

Good farriers are busy and hard to get. Good vets are busy and hard to get. And unfortunately, good saddle fitters are often busy and hard to get.

I’m not talking about fitters who never answer the phone because they’ve got the business sense of a paper plate.

I’m talking about fitters who do answer the phone but have a very full calendar of clients.

When you needed a new saddle like yesterday, it’s tough to wait a few weeks. Or, in extreme cases with super good fitters, you might wait well over a month.

But good fitters tend to have more work than they can take. Saddle fitting a sales industry, and you just don’t survive in saddle fitting unless your calendar is chock full of clients who are whipping out their checkbooks.

And that means that busy saddle fitters tend to be good saddle fitters.

Now, as with everything in this blog post, this is a rule of thumb and not a litmus test. Some fitters are new to the biz or just moved to a new area, so they might be very available even if they’re excellent.

And some fitters might be busy for reasons that have nothing to do with skill. For example:

they sell a saddle brand is trendy or hot in your area

they inherited a list of clients from another fitter who left the region or switched to another brand

they only do saddle work a few days a week, so it doesn’t take much to fill up their appointment calendar

they sell a brand of saddle that requires constant maintenance that can only be done by a small group of qualified people (I’m looking at you, saddle brands that use FLAIR panels and brands that adjust tree points asymmetrically on purpose)

But again, when combined with other things on this list, a hard-to-get fitter can be a good sign.

And if you’re serious about getting onto a fitter’s busy calendar, here are my suggestions:

1. Call them, don’t just text them or email them. I hate picking up the phone too, but it shows a seriousness of intent that texts and emails don’t always show. You want to stand out in a crowd of potential clients.

2. If you’re seriously looking to buy a saddle in the next X number of weeks, say so on the phone. Saddle fitters live and die by their sales, and they deal with a lot of tire kickers. If you are really serious about buying, they may work harder to squeeze you in.

3, When you leave a message, be very clear about the area in which your horse lives, what kind of service you need, and what phone number they can call to reach you. Sometimes fitters have cancellations or can squeeze you in, but they can only do that if they know exactly where you are and what you need.

4. If you can, watch a friend’s appointment with a fitter before booking your own appointment.

If you’re lucky enough to have this chance, take the time and do it. Because really, when it comes down to it, the best way to recognize a good saddle fitter is to watch them work.

You’ll also have these advantages, compared to watching a fitter work on your horse:

When it’s not your horse, you can devote more time to watching the fitter instead of tending the horse.

When it’s not your money being spent, you’ll be more honest with yourself about whether you really like the saddles being pulled out of the truck.

At most fitting appointments, someone will ride in a demo saddle or a freshly delivered made-to-order saddle. This is a valuable part of an appointment to see from the ground. Watch the fitter closely and ask questions if you want.

5. When you’re around a saddle fitter, ask “Why?” a lot.

When you’re a noob to saddle fitting, it can be easy to clam up around saddle fitters. And it can be intimidating to ask questions.

But take it from me, a curious person who owes the creation of The Saddle Geek to hundreds of fitters who have “talked shop” with me: Most good saddle fitters are passionate about their craft. The good ones love when people ask questions. They’re eager to share what they know, and they’re eager to educate, within the limits of their full appointment calendars.

So if your fitter isn’t dropping wisdom-nuggets left and right during your conversations, ask more questions.

Your fitter might be staying quiet because, frankly, some other clients really don’t want to learn. Some fitting clients are overwhelmed by the details and just want the fitter to “deliver the goods.”

But you do want to learn, right? Most people do. And if that’s true, then make it clear that you’re eager to learn.

Tell your fitter that, so he or she will feel free to talk you through things. Break out your “why?” and “what’s that?” and “can you tell me more about that”?

Don’t be a pest when they’re evaluating your case for a moment, or concentrating on an adjustment. Saddle fitting is all about balancing a series of complex details, and sometimes your fitter will need a moment to process.

But don’t be a wallflower either, especially if they’ve just offered you an explanation and you want more details.

6. Ask about return policies, warranties, reflocking, and what to expect after purchase.

Let’s be honest: the real profit, in saddle fitting, comes from selling brand-new saddles. Demo saddles have a slim profit margin, and used saddles have an even slimmer one.

As a result, some unscrupulous fitters will drop you like a hot potato once you’ve written a check and they’ve delivered your saddle.

Other fitters know that happy customers, in the long term, are more likely to become repeat customers and refer other business.

So in my experience, one of the hallmarks of a great fitter is their follow-through service after purchase.

Good follow-through has two dimensions: good policies and good service.

Good policies include things like “a good return policy” or “booking a follow-up appointment 4 to 8 weeks after delivering a wool-flocked saddle.”

Good service is a more nuanced thing, and it separates the great fitters from the mediocre fitters.

For example, if your order gets messed up at the factory or isn’t quite what you expected, does the fitter help make it right?

Will the fitter help you out of a tough fitting situation, like, “I just got a brand-new off-track Thoroughbred and his back is going to change dramatically, so can we talk about padding solutions that will get me through a few months before we talk about a new saddle?”

Your Final Pep Talk

By asking the questions above to prospective fitters, you’ll not only feel more confident about their credentials, but you might also feel like the fitter is an ally. And you might discover a wonderful new equine professional in your area.

But if you’re not sure which fitter to call in your area, or even which brands to explore, consider The Saddle Geek’s online saddle advice service. Jen the Geek geeks out over all 175+ English saddle brands out there, so when she evaluates photos of your rider and/or horse, she can point you to the brands and models that make the most sense for you. And that’s a great first step toward figuring out which local (or distance!) saddle fitter might carry the product lines that will suit you best. To learn more about The Saddle Geek’s online advice by video, click here.

When you’re shopping for an English saddle on a budget, used saddles are a great option. You get more bang for your buck than you would with a new saddle, you get to skip the break-in process, and most used saddles are still in great shape.

But just like with cars, there are certain pricey repairs that can turn a saddle deal into a saddle nightmare. The bad ones can easily cost you $500+ in repair bills. That might be worthwhile for an expensive high-end saddle. But even for high-end saddles, it’s nice to know that what you’re getting into.

So let’s talk about which problems you should always check for before you buy a used saddle. These repairs could cost you big bucks.

1. Worn-out panels that need to be replaced

Foam panels, and wool flocking, both degrade over time. Foam tends to get smushy and lose its support. Picture the padding in an old sneaker, or a worn-out pillow on a foam-stuffed coach.

Wool flocking tends to get lumpy, bumpy, and compressed. Picture a child’s stuffed animal after being hugged and played with for years: things aren’t quite in the right place anymore!

So when you’re evaluating a used saddle, gently squeeze and poke the saddle’s panels. Squeeze and poke and slide your fingers deep into crevices. Look for lumps, bumps, uneven spots, and soft spots.

If you find any of these problems, you should be worried.

If it’s a wool-flocked saddle, the cost to fix lumpy or collapsed panels is anywhere from $75 to $400. In a minor case, the fitter may be able to just pull out the problematic lumpy section and “overflock” that section with new wool.

But if the panel is really a mess, or the lumps and bumps are in certain hard-to-reach places on the panel, you might need a full strip reflock–and that’s the one that’ll cost you $250+, and typically more like $350 to $400. The reason it’s so expensive is because it’s time intensive and requires a lot of focus and care. The fitter needs to completely un-pin your panels from the saddle, pull out all the old wool, and stuff the panels with new wool. A good saddler will make sure your two panels are evenly flocked so that the saddle doesn’t sit asymmetrically on the horse. They’ll also insure that the wool is inserted in ways that discourage lumps and bunching. Finally, they’ll make sure that the panels are re-attached to your saddle without being crooked, which is important for your balance, your horse’s comfort, and for keeping the saddle tree from warping.

You can see now why a full reflock typically has to be done off site, not in your barn aisle! It can take hours to do it right, and it’s best done in a space where the saddler can concentrate and reach their full set of tools.

Repanelling a foam saddle is even more expensive, but foam panels also tend to last longer than wool flocking. The typical replacement cost for foam panels is $500 to $900. If your saddle has foam panels, the best candidate to replace them is usually the saddle company that made the saddle. So if in doubt, contact the company for a quote on replacement costs.

In some cases, you can get the foam stripped off the saddle and replaced with wool for about $300-$400. Many saddle fitters and repair places around the country do this procedure. If you’re thinking about doing this, always consult the repair person before you buy. Not all saddle brands are good candidates for wool conversion. So before you buy, you’ll want to be 100% sure that you’ve found a repair place that is willing to do the job.

In terms of age, I recommend that you check panels on every saddle, even brand new ones. Why? Because in the wrong conditions, wool flocking can start lumping or compressing within a few weeks. And a pro rider who rides 6–8 horses daily can wear out foam panels in 6 months flat. In rare cases, a saddle can arrive from the manufacturer with panel problems.

And just like people, some saddles age more gracefully than others. I’ve seen some saddles that were 10+ years old and their panels were still in great shape. So it just depends. Focus on the saddle in front of you and feel what you can feel.

Saddle panels on a 15+ year old Butet saddle. When you’re looking at French-style saddles, be careful to distinguish between worn-out panels and panels that are purposely cut to be thin and close contact. You can often tell the difference by squeezing the panel gently and seeing if the foam fills up the leather panel or shrinks away from it.

2. Wear and tear on the seat

When it comes to seat damage, the danger zone is right under the rider’s crotch, especially where your pelvis and thighs meet the saddle seams that hold the seat onto the skirts (see picture below). That’s a common area for seat wear, especially if a previous rider wore jeans or the saddle has a delicate seat that’s covered in calfskin.

If the damage is fairly small and limited, you may be able to use a leather patch to fix the problem. That’ll cost you for roughly $50-$150. On the upside, this is a cheap way to slow down the damage. On the downside, patches are unsightly and lower the resale value of your saddle.

Some people use super glue or a seat saver to limit the damage, but in most cases, you’ll pay for that decision down the road. If the seam wears through the super glue, or keeps spreading at the edges of the super glue, you’ll eventually need a full seat replacement. That’s because it’s very hard to patch a saddle that’s already been super glued. So if the seam wears through or the damage spreads after you’ve used super glue, you usually have to proceed to a full seat replacement. You can hide the damage by using an after-market seat saver that covers the seat, but the damage is still happening behind the scenes–and in many disciplines, a seat saver isn’t legal for showing.

This brings us to the nightmare repair, in terms of cost: a full seat replacement, which can easily run $700-$1000. It’s a pricey repair because the saddler has to completely disassemble your saddle. They take off the panels, take off the flaps, they even take off the skirts that cover your stirrup bars. Basically, they have to strip your saddle all the way down to its tree, which is like stripping a car down to its chassis. Then, after they take off the seat, they fashion a pattern for your new seat, cut the new seat, sew it to the skirts that cover your stirrup bars, stretch that whole thing over the tree, attach it…you can see how this becomes a really labor-intensive repair. And when they finally get the seat squared away, the saddler re-assembles your entire saddle, which requires a lot of precision to ensure that everything was exactly as it was before. Between the cost of a good piece of leather for your seat, plus the labor time, plus a reasonable profit margin to make it worth the saddler’s while…you can see how we end up with a big-bucks repair estimate.

The typical wear and tear zone on an English saddle seat, right in front of the balance point where the rider’s thighs tend to chafe against the saddle. On this saddle, the leather split along a seam and was professionally patched by Smith Worthington in Connecticut. If you look closely under the patch, you can see the crescent-moon-shaped gap where the seat leather pulled away from the saddle skirt.

3. A broken saddle tree or compromised tree

Ugh, this is the worst. If your saddle tree is broken, it can easily cost upwards of $800-$900 to replace it. And that’s if you can cajole the manufacturer into sending your repairperson another saddle tree, or get the manufacturer to replace the saddle tree for you. With some saddle manufacturers, this is already a difficult thing. (Some of them just don’t like to do it, and others might want to help–but if your saddle is older, or the tree design has changed substantially over time, they might not have it in stock.)

And sometimes, saddle trees can be “compromised” rather than truly broken. Maybe you hear some suspicious squeaking, or the saddle keeps throwing your body around in a particular weird way. Or maybe it didn’t pass the flex tests I describe below, but it also doesn’t seem truly broken. That’s often a compromised tree, and it can really hurt your horse.

Compromised trees are also a huge hassle because you’ll have to pay a saddler to drop the panels, assess the damage, and tell you what you’re really dealing with.

If you’re lucky, the compromised section can be reinforced or replaced.

If you’re super lucky, it’s just a loose rivet that can be replaced or screwed back in tighter.

But much of the time, a compromised tree is really a broken tree.

Real talk, ladies and gents: given the cost and hassle of tree replacement, it’s often not worthwhile to replace a saddle’s tree. If you’re getting the repair for free, under a warranty, that’s one thing. In that case, knock yourself out. But if you’re looking at paying for a whole new tree in your saddle, that (generally) only makes financial sense if your saddle is worth quite a bit of money.

But if you’re looking at paying for a whole new tree in your saddle, it (generally) only makes financial sense if your saddle is worth quite a bit of money. Personally, if I were paying for the repair out of pocket, I’d be reluctant to drop a new tree into a saddle whose current value on the used market was less than $2000.

And keep in mind, most of the time, you will not recoup the cost of a tree replacement at resale time. If you have a $3000 saddle with a broken tree, and you replace the tree for $850, your buyers won’t suddenly think the saddle is worth $3850. In fact, in my experience, US buyers balk at the idea of buying a saddle with a replaced tree. It’s like buying a high-mileage car with a new transmission: some people are like “yeah, what a deal” but a lot of people are like, “Nah, I’d rather have a newer one.”

Personally, I hate to see people throw away good tack–and I wish more people would invest in repairs rather than replacing their otherwise-useful stuff. But when it comes to broken trees, being repaired out of pocket with no warranty…think long and hard about whether the investment is worth it. Especially for a used saddle that you don’t even own yet.

Anyway, moving on to how you can tell if you’ve got a broken tree. Alas, this is a hard thing to assess without dropping the panels and looking. You can do some basic tests by flexing the saddle in various directions. See below–thanks, YouTube!

But even those tests aren’t foolproof. A saddle that passes those tests might still have hairline fractures in the tree. And in my experience, unless the damage is pretty serious and obvious, your average saddle buyer can be fooled by these flex tests.

Spring trees, for example, are designed to flex a little. And unless you’ve flexed a lot of tack, you may have trouble distinguishing a spring tree from a broken tree.Also, saddles sometimes squeak for benign reasons, like leather rubbing up against leather. So how do you know if it’s “just” a spring tree or a real problem? If you’ve flexed hundreds of saddles, you can probably go with your gut. But most buyers haven’t flexed hundreds of saddles.

Also, saddles sometimes squeak for benign reasons, like leather rubbing up against leather under the skirt or by the stirrup bar.So how do you know if it’s “just” a spring tree or a real problem? If you’ve flexed hundreds of saddles, you can probably go with your gut. But most buyers haven’t flexed hundreds of saddles.

So how do you know if it’s “just” a spring tree or a real problem? If you’ve flexed hundreds of saddles, you can probably go with your gut. But most buyers haven’t flexed hundreds of saddles.

And of course, how do you do any of this if you’re buying online/from a distance?

In theory, you can have a saddler drop the panels and look closely at the tree to find damage. Saddlers can often mitigate tree damage by reinforcing a compromised section of the tree. But the cost for dropping panels and looking at a tree is typically $300-$500. So most people don’t invest in that for sub-$2000 saddles.

So, are you freaked out yet? Here’s five ways to minimize your risk:

If you can, buy saddles that you can inspect in person.

If you can, buy from an experienced consignment vendor that sells lots of English tack. These vendors have experience looking for expensive repair problems. And in many cases, they also have insurance to cover problems with the tack they’ve sold. It’s not a foolproof solution, but at least if the saddle arrives with damage, you can usually send it back.

If you buy from a private seller, always use a credit card and/or PayPal. If the saddle arrives damaged and the seller won’t cooperate, you can make a claim through PayPal, or dispute the charge with your credit card. It’s not a foolproof way to protect yourself, but it’s something.

If you get a saddle shipped through the mail, pay for shipping insurance. Read up on the terms and conditions of this insurance. The insurance terms differ between the US Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS. If in doubt, I recommend FedEx. None of these shipping services are perfect, but in my experience, FedEx has the best track record for saddles. Many online saddle consignment dealers use FedEx exclusively for their saddle shipping, and that says a lot about how FedEx handles saddles.

If in doubt, get professional help with evaluating the saddle. Enlist a saddle fitter, your trainer, or saddle-savvy friends, vet, or chiropractor to look over a saddle that you’re considering.

Now some homework for everybody: Check your saddle billets! That’s a cheap and important repair.

Billets, which are the straps that attach your girth to the saddle, are fairly cheap to replace. And that’s great because a) they tend to wear out over time and b) when they do, your saddle is literally dangerous. A snapped billet–or worse, two snapped billets on the same side–can lead to a very dangerous accident where your saddle slides right off your horse.

In most cases, you can get new billets for $100-$200 total. For most saddles, the billets are attached to nylon webbing that hangs down from the saddle tree. Replacing these billets is as simple as ripping out some stitching, taking off the old billets, lining up new billets, and sewing them on. It’s worth getting a qualified saddle repair person to do it, so that they tack on the billets straight and line up the holes in logical places.

So do yourself a favor and check your billets the next time you ride. If they are worn, soft, or cracking, it’s time for new ones. Get some. Your safety is worth it.

In many cases, your local saddle fitter is trained to do this repair. If not, you can ship out to a reputable repair facility. (Psst: there’s a PDF list of repair places in the next section, “Over to You”).

And another billet pro tip: don’t try to oil your billets, or use cream conditioner, to bring your very-worn-out billets back to life. I’m usually a fan of hydrating your leather, but when it comes to billets, strength is way more important than suppleness. And the more oil or conditioner you add, the weaker your billets will get. So personally, I never oil my billets. I keep them clean, and I use roller buckles on girths when I can, but otherwise I let my billets do their hang-on-for-dear-life job.

Over to You

So that’s it: watch it for worn-out panels, damage that could lead to an expensive seat repair, and a broken or compromised tree. If you avoid those, you’ve avoided some of the most expensive saddle repairs out there.